LANSING – In order to ensure that rural schools in northern Michigan have the resources they need for their students to receive the best education possible, State Representative Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard) today unveiled a new plan to give the state's lowest-funded schools more money to hire additional teachers, reduce class sizes and distribute necessary resources for our schools.
"If we want to ensure that each and every one of our students receives the best education possible, we must fund all of our school districts equally," McDowell said. "A school system in St. Ignace deserves the same access to resources as one in Grosse Pointe. Education is the great equalizer, and only through school equity will all of our students reach their full potential."
Under the plan, funding would be provided tonarrow the gap between the lowest- and highest-funded school districts. The disbursement amount would vary based on how much each district currently receives, gradually bringing the lowest district payments in line with Michigan's higher-funded districts.At least $20 million would be available for equity payments through the program in year one.
Michigan's 774 school districts receive revenue through the Michigan School Aid Fund (SAF). Proposal A, of 1994, made a promise to eliminate the gap between the highest- and lowest-funded districts. However, the provision of Proposal A to ensure equity was stopped in 1999 before it reached its intended goal. As a result, large per-student funding differentials still exist through the current SAF distribution formula. Due to these large disparities, certain schools have the resources for top-notch instruction and smaller class sizes while other districts are struggling to provide children essential educational tools.
"Businesses have shown time and again that they want to locate in areas with large pools of highly skilled and highly trained employees," McDowell said. "We must give our students the tools they need to succeed in the information age. By strengthening our schools – all of our schools – we will attract the good-paying jobs of the future."